Sand-carved designs in glass and crystal are beautiful on their own, but adding color fill can significantly enhance their visual appeal and value. Accentuating the etched areas with color creates a stunning contrast that gives the product a striking appearance. Color fill is particularly beneficial for dark-colored products such as red wine bottles, black granite, ceramics, and dark glass.

How To Add Color Fill To Etched Products

By: Liz Haas, Customer Service Specialist at Rayzist

(Originally printed in the September/October 2024 issue of Insights.)

Sand-carved designs in glass and crystal are beautiful on their own, but adding color fill can significantly enhance their visual appeal and value. Accentuating the etched areas with color creates a stunning contrast that gives the product a striking appearance. Color fill is particularly beneficial for dark-colored products such as red wine bottles, black granite, ceramics, and dark glass.

Sand carving is also versatile, allowing for a wide range of designs on various products. Whether it’s a simple pattern or a creative design, color fill can add an extra dimension to the finished piece, making it more attractive and valuable.

  

While the process of color fill can be intimidating, the results are rewarding. Here are some tips on how to achieve the best outcomes with different materials and types of paint.

Types of Paint

Rayzist recommends using mural-artist paints, which have been proven durable and effective on etched surfaces since the early 2000s. These paints come in a wide range of colors, including several shades of metallics like gold and silver. High-quality spray paints such as Montana, Belton Molotow, and MTN 94 are perfect for etched surfaces. Over-the-counter paints found at hardware stores are not the same as mural-artist paints, which have a high pigment load that results in a different flow. This is why it is important to shake the can well to ensure proper mixing of the paint. Montana GOLD, Belton Molotow, and MTN 94 are all low-pressure, meaning the gases in the can allow the paint to be released slowly and smoothly. This reduces the spray material and provides greater control over painting. These paints can be ordered online or found in artist-supply stores.

Paint Caps

Mural-artist paints have a wide selection of spray caps that are available in superskinny to fat, and the size of the cap affects the amount of material ejected from the spray. A blue-dot or gold-dot skinny cap is ideal for items such as spirit bottles, awards, ceramic glasses, decorative stone, or pet memorials. A cap with a larger spray is ideal for a larger area. For a new can of paint, be sure to first spray with the original cap or a fat cap. Once you have established a good flow with the original cap, you can swap it out for a smaller paint cap.

Setting Up a Painting Area

To offer color fill to customers, setting up a dedicated painting area is essential. Ensure the area is well-ventilated and organized to make the process easier. While a paint booth is not always necessary, it helps control overspray and reduce fumes. A booth with a motor to draw fumes through a filter and exhaust them is ideal. Modifying the booth with an LED bar and a charcoal filter for VOCs and exhaust fumes enhances its effectiveness. It is important to replace filters for the paint booth to maintain efficiency.

Images courtesy of Liz Haas of Rayzist.

Additional Supplies

Having the right supplies nearby simplifies the color-fill process. This includes acetone for cleaning caps, painter’s tape, picking tool, and razors (both metal and plastic), optivisors or magnifying headbands for detailed work, paint respirators and masks, and disposable gloves.

For this project, we are using a crystal paperweight and SR3000 Self-Stick four-millimeter Photo Resist film to achieve detail and depth.

  

Protect the paperweight by spraying it with Blast Wrap. This will prevent overspray during painting.

Place a photomask on the crystal paperweight. You want to leave the photomask on the crystal after sand carving, as it will become a painting stencil.

Clean your etched area with air prior to color filling to remove any abrasive particles. Do this with an air gun, can of air, or a hair dryer.

Place the crystal paperweight in the paint booth.

 Prepare the spray paint for color filling by shaking the can well for at least five minutes. It is recommended to wear disposable gloves while painting. Test spray the paint before applying it to the glass to ensure a clean, consistent stream without spitting or dripping from the nozzle. If there is spitting, continue shaking the can until it stops. If dripping occurs, clean the nozzle with acetone or change the nozzle cap.

  
   

If you are new to painting, start by spraying a practice glass or even cardboard. Spray the practice area a few times to observe the distance of the spray can to the cardboard. Each spray should be short to give you control and reduce the chance of overpainting. The spray should provide coverage without dripping.

Paint the glass once you feel comfortable with the test sprays. Short sprays from various angles are best. Painting from different angles will ensure proper coverage of the edges without drowning the etched area in paint. Once the painting is complete, examine the area to confirm no additional painting is required.

Let the paint dry for at least one hour for best results. If the product is needed right away, a hair dryer can help speed up the drying process. Touch the photomask (outside of the image) and feel the paint. If the paint is still tacky or leaves a fingerprint, it requires more drying time.

Remove the photomask from the glass once the paint is dry. A picking tool or plastic razor can be used to remove the photomask from the center of letters or any part of the mask left behind. Plastic razors do not scratch easily and are great for metal and glass surfaces.

Storing Paint

Paint is highly flammable, so store spray paint in an FM-approved flammable safety cabinet to reduce the risk of fire. Proper storage and organization of spray paint cans save time and ensure safety. The bulk of our paints are stored in a flammable safety cabinet at all times. Selected spray cans are stored on a rack with tops displaying the colors. For easier mixing, store cans on their sides and shake them for about five minutes before use.

     

By following these steps and recommendations, you can master adding color fill to your etched products. Whether you’re working with glass, crystal, or other materials, combining detailed sand carving with vibrant color fills will create stunning, professional-quality pieces. Practice painting on glass and stone, and try the three brands of paint to see which works best for you. Then use these skills and tools to turn your etched creations into unique and eye-catching works of art.

Liz Haas has been a dedicated teacher, trainer, and show coordinator for Rayzist Photomask for the past 20 years, living and working out of San Diego, California. With a deep understanding of photoresist films, the sand-carving process, and related equipment, she has shared her expertise through sand-carving workshops for the last 17 years. Her knowledge has also been featured in several published articles, and she’s contributed to the creation of comprehensive sand-carving training videos available on YouTube, further extending her reach as an educator in the field.